1832. Lupon, Haelo.

The sun had yet to rise.

Beneath the star-speckled sky, the only living thing to be seen in the Lupon Soundgarden was a gnarled old Maple tree; small but proud and its boughs heavy with a lush, red plumage of leaves. An eclectic collection of suncatchers and windchimes hung from every branch as it stood humbly in the center of a modest islet in that was decorated with mossy stones, weathered statues of snarling canid creatures, and flora of every color.

In the daylight, the Soundgarden and its surrounding pond thick with lily pads were a sight to behold. But for now, the flowers were closed up for the night, the suncatchers cast no light, and the windchimes were still.

No crickets chirped, no cicadas hummed, and no morning birds sang. They hadn't for a long time. The humid air was only heavy with silence. For a moment, at least.

A temperate breeze stirred the windchimes and instantly the garden came alive. Glass, wood, and metal all came together to create a symphony of soothing sound. Leaves were shed and scattered from the Maple, dappling the pond and disturbing the glassy surface with ripples as they floated about like little unmanned boats.

The wind calmed and the morning symphony subsided. Everything was as still as before, but it was no longer silent. A new sound echoed about the courtyard; the rhythmic clack clack clack of padded paws and claws against wooden planks.

A demon was sneaking its way around the veranda that surrounded the pond. It's eyes flashed a sinister bright yellow-green as it glanced up at the stained glass dormitory doors it passed by. Underneath loose-fitting clothing of green linen and brown leather, its orange fur almost glowed under the starlight as it padded about. Its long wolfen ears were upright and alert and its vulpine face was focused straight ahead.

It stopped short alongside a door marked with stained-glass crimson flowers. With a wag of its tail and a crafty smirk on its face, the demon reared up on its hind legs and pushed open the doorknob with a flick of a forepaw. It slithered inside.

The room inside was dark and messy. A wardrobe was tucked into the corner, its cabinet doors slightly ajar and a dresser was shoved against one of the walls, its surface littered with an unnecessary amount of used mugs, a few seashells, and polished stones. At the far end of the room was the bed. The demon spied an unmoving form hidden under the comforter. It dropped low to the ground and crept forward until it was hidden at the foot of the bed. It flashed a grin and reared back.

"Aha!"

The demon pounced onto the bed. It's white-tipped tail wagged furiously and its toothy maw agape in a cheeky smile. Slowly the wagging stopped and the grin faded. There was nothing but pillows hidden under the unmade bedding. The quarry was not here.

"Well good morning, Rue," came a voice from behind the intruding creature, gentle and warm like the breeze outside.

The demon launched itself into the air in surprise at the voice. It landed on the floor in a tangled mess of legs and tail. Its flame-colored fur stood on end as it nervously scanned the room.

A lanky figure was leaning against the doorframe, nonchalantly sipping a cup of fresh-brewed tea. In the shadows, he could almost be mistaken for a human, if it wasn't for his winding tail flicking from side to side across the floor.

"Oh, Shia!" the tangled demon chimed with a fanged smile. "There you are!"

The canid demon's orange fur melted away revealing tanned and freckled skin. Her grinning muzzle shrank and reformed into a grinning human face, covered in as many freckles as stars in the sky outside. Her large round eyes, still green with slitted pupils, were framed by her short yet untamed and shockingly orange hair. She bolted upright on her two bare feet, dusting off her clothes with clawed hands. Looking remarkably more human now, except for the wagging tail and the long, pointed, and furry orange ears, Rue beamed at her friend in the doorway. "You're up early!" she greeted.

Shia downed the last of his tea, impatient for the caffeine to kick in. It was far too early in the morning to palate Rue's energy. He sat the empty mug on the dresser alongside all the others then lit the oil lamp that sat amongst them.

In the warm flickering light, it was apparent just how inhuman the pair was. Shia's red eyes, contrasting heavily with Rue's lime-green, watched as she flipped her spiky hair out of her face. Unlike most Lykans, Rue had always preferred to keep her hair short. Shia couldn't relate, enjoying having his long burgundy tresses to hide behind. He scowled at the sudden thought. There were a lot of aspects of Shia that was contrary to most Lykans.

Both had bushy tails, though Shia's was far lengthier than Rue's; about as long as he was tall and was a tawny brown and faded to a deep wine red at the fluffier last third of its length. His long furry ears, solid black on the outside but with a spot of white near each base and topped with black tufts at the very tips, were askew with curiosity while Rue's remained perpetually perked.

The most apparent difference between the two were the black stripes that traced across Shia's exposed arms, neck, and tail. The full extent of their reach was concealed by his red healer uniform. His face was mostly clear of those stripes, except for the thin black markings along his eyelids, two dark tear lines extending from the inside corners of his eyes toward his nose, and the sharp wings that extended from the outer corners then doubled back and underlined his lower lids. He tugged on a flowing elbow-length sleeve self-consciously, as if futilely attempting to hide the markings on his arms.

"I always wake up at this time," Shia explained, returning his attention to Rue. "You're up early. And also in my room. What's up?"

Rue flopped backward onto Shia's messy bed, looking uncharacteristically anxious. "Oh... Just..." she squeaked, "Wondering if you were, like, up for hanging out today?"

Shia shook his head with a laugh, his tail flicking. "Wow, really wish I could but, you know," he replied. "I kind of have to work. Aren't you supposed to be helping Narfi today anyway?"

Rue forced a laugh. "Ha... So... Narfi said I don't have to show up to work today! Or tomorrow. Or... Ever..." As her voice trailed off, she tossed the downy comforter over herself in shame.

Shia raised his brows at the lump hiding under his sheets. "Wait. Rue, do you mean she fired you?! Wha-"

"This time it wasn't my fault! I just... Knocked over a tiny pot is all," she squeaked. "...And then that pot knocked over a bigger pot which knocked over an even bigger pot that set off a chain reaction of chaos and despair that destroyed most of Narfi's stock." Rue retracted further into her cocoon of covers. This wasn't the first time she had been fired, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. After all, very few lykans could tolerate the fireball's presence.

With an empathetic sigh, Shia padded over and planted himself on the bed next to the mound of covers. "Okay, maybe you and a studio full of fragile ceramics aren't a good mix," he sighed. "I feel like we should've seen this coming..."

"I know... And no one else will give me another chance..." the mound mumbled.

Shia wrapped his tail around her. "Don't worry, we'll find a niche for you somewhere. Let's see... So farming, embroidery, construction, glass-blowing, and book-keeping didn't work out. Basket-weaving was a super bad idea. Even I had to help stitch up a few people in the Clinic after that one..."

Rue sulked under the covers. Shia felt a pang in his heart. He couldn't stand to see her like this. Gradually, the pang in his heart dissolved into a lurch in his stomach. An idea occurred to him.

A bad idea.

"Well, here's a thought..." he croaked.

Eyes watched him from underneath the comforter. Shia groaned and spewed the words out. "How about you shadow me in the Clinic?"

This is a really bad idea.

Rue leaped from her shell of linens. "What?!" she squealed. "For real?"

Bad bad bad bad bad...

Already regretting his offer, Shia stood and pried his spare healer uniform from his wardrobe and tossed it at her. "We'll just see how it goes today," he murmured as Rue enthusiastically forced herself into the robes. Her grin had returned and that eased Shia's nerves a small amount. He still clutched his tail to keep it from twitching.

The sky was still dark when the pair left Shia's dorm. Rue chattered on over the melody of the garden. "What about surgery? Can I help with that? You know I'm super good at staying focused."

"Wha-? No, we're just going to work in the stockroom, okay?" Shia stammered, rubbing his temples. "I don't work with patients, remember?"

Rue scowled. "Okay, but if someone gets their spleen removed, can I touch it?"

"Hell no." Shia put his hand on Rue's shoulder to stop her in her tracks. "Please try to take this seriously. And don't let Kalluo catch you in the Clinic."

Begging was typically below him, but this was a life or death situation.

"I'm just playing!" Rue giggled. Then her expression softened. "I appreciate this, Shia," she whispered to him. "I'll try to be good, okay?"

Shia relaxed with a smile. "Okay. Let's get going."

Together, they threw open the back doors of the Clinic and stepped inside, leaving behind the wind-carried song of the Soundgarden.

The clinic lobby was lit by numerous wall lamps. During the day, the candlelight would be replaced by the plentiful sunlight that would stream through the expansive windows along the front wall of the Clinic where its stained glass double doors remained propped open; beckoning in lykans in need of healing. Intricate woven rugs lined the floor, their colors matching satisfyingly with the paintings of forests and wolfish creatures and strange extinct animal species decorating the walls. In the middle of the room, warm-toned bamboo chairs and benches sat unoccupied; their cushions and pillows plump and enticing.

Despite Lupon's dwindling population, this lobby had seen its fair share of emergencies both life-threatening and insubstantial. But for now only one other soul besides Shia and Rue occupied the lobby.

Shia padded up to the counter with Rue at his heels. "Morning, Kiki," he greeted the tan dark-haired Lykan sitting behind it. "What's new today?"

Kiki huffed and turned away from him, more concerned with filing her claws than assisting Shia. Shia ignored her ignoring him and scooped up a ring of keys and a leather-bound notebook from a nook in the desk.

Rue slapped her hands on the counter, startling both Shia and Kiki.

"Good morning, Kiki!" Rue barked, that glint of mischief returning to her eyes.

Kiki gasped and held a hand to her heart. She looked up at the sudden guest apologetically. "Oh, pardon me! I didn't see you there. Good morning- Oh no. It's you." Kiki's indifferent facial expression contorted into one of utmost disgust, her stern glare accentuating her crow's feet.

Rue flashed a grin at the recoiling lykan.

"Yup, it's me! And my good friend, Shia, who you totally just ignored! I'm shadowing Shia today."

Kiki side-eyed Shia as if hoping this was an unfunny prank. Shia sighed. The sun still hadn't risen and he was already exhausted. "Focus, Rue," he said snapping his fingers. "We're going to actually work today, remember? We're not going to break anything and we're definitely not going to get distracted by Malea. Got it?"

Rue nodded confidently. "Got it."

"Perfect. So." Shia held the open notebook up to Rue. "This is our logbook. We'll go through each of the patient halls and make sure our team has what they need for the morning, then we'll take these keys and head down into the stockroom and-"

Shia looked up from the notebook to notice that Rue had scampered off.

"And she's gone," he lamented to no one.

"Yeah, she saw Malea and bailed," Kiki muttered.

Shia groaned and peered into the East Hall, where sure enough, there was Rue enrapt in exuberant conversation with another young lykan in red. Shia perked his ears up to be able to eavesdrop across the hall better.

"So, you're helping us out today, huh?" Malea giggled, brushing her brown braids out of her face. "Well, I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be fun seeing you around the clinic."

Rue was grinning from ear to furry ear. "Yeah, look at us!" she beamed. "Saving lives and stuff together!"

"Honestly, what does Malea even see in her?" Kiki huffed as she resumed filing her claws.

Shia paid her no mind as he loaded his keys and notebook onto a rickety cart that had been bestride the desk and wheeled it into the East Hall, flicking his long tail behind at Kiki in farewell.

"Kalluo is going to skin you alive, Sheye-ah," Kiki muttered at him in return, purposely mispronouncing his name. Shia rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. It wasn't enough that he had to look different from the other lykans, he had also been given a fairly uncommon name. What bothered him was that she didn't even bother to mispronounce his full name as most people did. Shee-ah was easy enough to say right.